Quick Backdrop
Whenever you flip through a red-letter edition of the Bible (one in which Jesus’ words are printed in red), you’ll notice a chunk of the Gospel of John that’s a sea of red—page after page with no black print. John 13—17 records the most intimate conversation Jesus had with His disciples while here on earth. In this conversation, Jesus was teaching His best friends how to thrive in a world that will be hostile to their faith. We’re going to listen in on this conversation for a minute.
The What
To help yourself notice the detail, you may want to print the passages below so you can mark them or paste them into an eDoc so you can highlight. As you read the verses, do a couple things:
1. Highlight or draw a rising sun above anything Jesus said that gives you hope or assurance.
2. Highlight or circle words such as trust, believe and faith.
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father, as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him'” (John 14:1-7).
“Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in My name, and I will do it” (John 14:11-14).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
After reading the passage, review rising sun phrases (the things that give you hope) and circle four that have the most meaning to you.
The So What
Think about a place where you have good conversations with friends: the school cafeteria, the bus, a coffee shop, etc. Picture yourself in that place with Jesus—just you and Him. Imagine for a minute that Jesus is speaking these words from John 14 to you…because actually He is. Take the four phrases you circled and imagine Jesus saying those very words to you. Personalize the phrases by writing them on a sheet of paper, or typing them into a document, and personalize each phrase by addressing it to yourself by using your first name. Here is an example:
“Barry, don’t let your heart be troubled.”
Seal the Deal
Using that same sheet of paper, make a list of all the things that are stressing you at the moment, things such as school, relationships, work, world crises, adversity to your faith. Match each stresser with an assurance from Jesus, either one of the four you highlighted or any others from John 14. Spend some time praying about the connection between Jesus’ assurances and the things that are stressing you at the moment. Pray until you feel Jesus’ peace and calm assurance.
Before you finish praying, here’s one more thing to add to the mix. Look at the words you circled such as trust, believe and faith. What is Jesus getting across with these words? When an answer comes to your mind, add this to your prayer about Jesus’ assurances and your stressors.
Life will throw a lot of stress your way. Jesus wants you not only to survive the stress, but thrive through it.
Barry Shafer has been in youth ministry for more than 25 years. As director of InWord Resources Barry has written numerous small-group Bible studies and teen devos, and is author of the book Unleashing God’s Word in Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties/Zondervan). He is a regular contributor to YouthWorker Journal, writing the column “10 Minutes in God’s Word.” Barry lives in Middletown, Ohio, with his wife, Jessica, and newborn son, Reade. He blogs at InWord.org.
